Items tagged with NASDAQ: MSFT

Since the launch of Metro in Windows 8, Microsoft has iterated on its "Microsoft Design Language" a few times, with MDL2 being the most recent version to grace Windows 10. According to fresh rumor, it looks like a third iteration is en route for Windows 10, and it's called "Project NEON". What NEON ultimately is likely to become is "Metro 2", the overarching design of Windows and its apps (and the Windows Phone UI) that adheres to very strict guidelines. It's modern, clean and attractive. Microsoft's Metro design language was first introduced with Windows 8 While we're still a ways out...Read more...

Each new "Redstone" release of Windows 10 is notable for a handful of reasons, but Redstone 3 could include one of the most ambitious features yet: x86 on ARM64 emulation. What that ultimately means is that ARM-based devices running Windows 10 Mobile, such as the Lumia 950 XL, could see an immediate boost of supported applications. x86 emulation could prove extremely important for ARM-based Windows devices, as it would allow users to run the same applications they're used to running on their x86 desktops and notebooks. If the emulation works well, it could dramatically bolster the number of...Read more...

It should be safe to call Windows 10 a "great" OS, but we can't ignore some maddening aspects of it including its data mining features and frustrating Windows Update mechanism. More than ever, the latest batch of Windows releases has clued the world into the fact that alternatives exist, and we're not just talking macOS. Free alternatives exist, such as the Ubuntu-based Zorin OS. Some Linux distributions make their goal of catering to those familiar with Windows clear, and Zorin OS is no exception. The GNOME-based desktop is designed to mimic Windows in some key areas, such as by having a taskbar...Read more...

Up until Satya Nadella took the reigns at Microsoft, it wasn't a secret that Redmond company didn't take too kindly to Linux. The situation has sure changed over the past couple of years, though. Even the company's massive Azure platform supports Linux, and a couple of months ago, it ported its popular PowerShell admin tool to the Penguin-fueled platform. But now the company has officially fortified its interest in Linux by joining the Linux Foundation as a top-tier Platinum member. It joins the likes of Intel, Samsung, IBM, Cisco, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Qualcomm, NEC, and Huawei....Read more...

Microsoft is furthering its efforts to go green. The company just made its largest wind energy purchase (237 megawatts) through wind farms aligned with Allianz Risk Transfer (ART) and Black Hills Corporation. Microsoft plans to power its datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming entirely by this windpower. According to Microsoft’s President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith, “Innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. We’re thinking differently about our datacenters and how we can build and operate them in a more sustainable way. And the innovations we’re piloting in this deal are not only good for...Read more...

What's that in the air? Could it be the smell of egg nog and pine? Nope, it's Microsoft Patch Tuesday, of course! This month's rollout is rather large and notable for a number of reasons. However, what matters most is that if you're not up-to-date yet, you'll want to take a little trip to the Windows Update section and take care of business. Speaking of business, the advice to update is imperative for those managing user PCs in the enterprise, as this rollout of patches includes a fix for a huge bug Google disclosed one week ago. This bug, called CVE-2016-7255, is a local privilege escalation flaw...Read more...

In case you haven't already picked up on it, helpful artificial intelligence is making a big play to become embedded in many of the devices that we use on a daily basis. With its top-end Pixel smartphone, Google has an AI assistant running throughout the entire OS. And we just recently learned that Samsung will apparently push the AI focus hard with its upcoming Galaxy S8. Now, we learn that Microsoft wants to up its AI game with Cortana. The goal with any solution like this is to not only provide specific information at your beck and call, but to be able to interact with that AI in the...Read more...

When the concept of downloadable content for games first hit us, people en masse were enraged at the fact that companies couldn't just sell us a complete game from the get-go. Fast-forward to today, and DLC is a much more accepted, but that doesn't mean the underlying issues no longer exist. For the most part, many gamers today seem fine with purchasing DLC as long as it feels like it provides real value. If a game is a mere 8 hours long and has $40 worth of DLC to extend that, no one is going to be pleased outside of the game's most intense fans. But when happens when DLC for an otherwise multi-platform...Read more...

Unless you have been living under a rock the last few years, you probably know that Minecraft is an incredibly popular video game. The game seems to be especially well-liked by children and teenagers. Retailers have responded with everything from Minecraft toys and clothing to Minecraft-themed peeps. Now, the game is officially available in the classroom with Minecraft: Education Edition. Minecraft: Education Edition is “an open-world game that promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive environment where the only limit is your imagination.” Students will be able to...Read more...

When Microsoft announced its Xbox One Scorpio this past summer, it was assumed that it would bring a major VR focus with it when it comes out next year. However, according to Xbox chief Phil Spencer, we all need to readjust that thinking, as VR support is simply not planned at this particular moment. Sony just released its own VR solution, PS VR That notion might seem a bit bizarre on account of the fact that even the original PlayStation 4 - at about a third of Scorpio's total graphics performance - supports VR. However, Spencer has a reason: VR content just isn't there yet. That doesn't mean...Read more...

Since the time Microsoft began releasing games en masse to its Windows Store, one glaring omission of the marketplace became clear: offline mode. While the problem isn't as pronounced today as it once was, finding yourself offline due to an issue outside of your control can be downright frustrating when it prevents a game from being played - especially a game that will help keep your mind off of the fact that you have no internet. That shouldn't be a problem any longer with games played through the Windows Store. We learned about the addition of Offline Mode through Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, someone...Read more...

Microsoft unveiled its first all-in-one desktop system yesterday, known as the Surface Studio. Just in case you missed the announcement, you can find our initial coverage of it right here. We’re not going to rehash all of the specifications and main features again, but to quickly reiterate and provide a little more background, the new Surface Studio is a premium, all-in-one PC that’s outfitted with an Intel processor, NVIDIA graphics, and hybrid storage system. It also has a super-thin, ultra-high resolution 28” / 125mm thin touch display that is optimized for color accuracy and wide viewing angles....Read more...

Last month, Google renamed its popular "Apps for Work" suite of business tools to "G Suite", a simple naming scheme change that gave us the hint that other big things would be coming. Today, we get our first real taste of what's new with Google's own take on the boardroom whiteboard. Google's interactive whiteboard is called Jamboard, and it tackles the likes of Microsoft's Surface Hub head-on. The goal isn't to simply display important information on the screen for everyone to see, but let people collaborate in real-time as they would with an actual whiteboard - we're talking drawing, writing...Read more...

Microsoft Surface tablets have come under fire by one of the most successful head coaches in the history of the National Football League and by extension one of the most successful NFL teams, so the exposure is significant. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is done with using tablets on the sidelines. As outside observers of a sport, it's sometimes easy to dismiss the complexities surrounding the games we watch. While in all team sports, coordination between team staff is important, it's downright imperative in the game of Football and for the NFL. Depth charts, team formation photos,...Read more...